Today’s consumers are all about multichannel marketing—using both online and offline resources to research and make purchases. During the holidays, this shopping behavior is even more apparent. Many consumers do research online before making in-store purchases; others visit stores to “showroom” (research items in person) and then make purchases online.

This infographic shares several compelling stats about the importance of multichannel marketing for local businesses during the holidays. A few particularly compelling data points include:

In 2014, holiday shoppers are expected to spend $89 billion on online gifts.

92% of holiday shoppers will go online to research or purchase gifts this season.

51% of shoppers research online and make in-store purchases.

71% of in-store shoppers say email offers influence them to buy.

Why It Matters: The shopping experience is no longer offline vs. online. Consumers use online, mobile, social, email, and in-person content and offers to inform their holiday purchases. For local businesses, running consistent online campaigns around the holidays is essential—regardless of whether you only offer your products and services in person. Your customers still want to be able to research your offerings and receive holiday deals online, even if they have to come to your storefront to make a purchase.

Did you know that there are over 700 million active websites? That means your business website has a lot of competition clamoring for searchers’ attention. By creating awesome content and using engaging traffic tools to expand your reach, you can boost your website visits and establish your business as a trustworthy member of the digital community.

Here are 6 things you can do to increase your traffic:

Optimize your content for search engines.

Improve your social media presence.

Create attention-grabbing titles.

Experiment with paid search ads.

Connect with other business owners and thought leaders in your industry.

Provide real value to your readers.

Why It Matters: Your website is one of your business’s most valuable online assets. It’s up to you to make it stand out from the crowd with content that appeals to your audience and adheres to the latest search engine optimization best practices. If you do, your website will be more likely to stand out to prospective customers in search—and they’ll be more likely to spend time engaging with your brand when they reach your website.

[Branding] Turning Your Business Identity into a Unique Marketing Tool

A clear, well-executed branding strategy can play a key role in helping your business grow and become prominent in your local market. Here are 3 things to keep in mind when developing your business’s brand:

Define your brand and spread the message far and wide.

Be consistent, both with design and with the experience you provide to your customers.

Design a distinctive logo that captures the essence of your business in a memorable way.

Why It Matters: Building a strong brand for your business is essential. Why? Because it (a) helps set expectations for new and potential customers, and (b) makes it easy to grow your visibility in your local marketplace. Branding is about conveying what your business does, why you do it, and how you do it differently than your competitors. That’s a pretty important message, and one worthy of investing time and care into!

About the Author

Ashley Taylor Anderson is a content developer and marketer who's spent her career knee-deep in the B2B technology space. In previous professional lives, she worked as a science textbook editor, media producer, and pastry chef.